


After Katya

by loulou268



Series: Derry Girls - Erin and James - Scenes We Didn't See - Season 1 [4]
Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: Derry Girls Season 1, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 15:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18574315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loulou268/pseuds/loulou268
Summary: Scenes We Didn't See: After KatyaThings were tense between Erin and James after Katya left, both wanted it to return to the way it was, so James took action, confessing something to Erin in the process.





	After Katya

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Mentions of Sex.

It had been awkward between them since Katya left.

Erin and James found it difficult to keep eye contact and any silence between them now was tense and uncomfortable. All James wanted was for it to go back to normal. It was what he thought as he held the book Erin leant him in his hands, staring at it.

This had to stop! He decided. Enough was enough – he wanted Erin back in his life properly, not just in awkward moments when they were alone, or in group settings where they didn’t speak to each other. So, on Saturday night, James made himself cheese and pickle sandwiches that he packed in a bag and grabbed his wallet before marching out of the house, setting course for the Quinn residence.

Mrs Quinn smiled broadly when seeing him and called for Erin. Clearly, he was there for her. The sound of Erin’s quick feet stamping down the stairs was heard. She had hardly reached the bottom when she clocked James and her face fell.

“James…”

“Hey…”

“James here was just telling me how ye were heading out for dinner,” Mrs Quinn said as she handed Erin her coat. “Don’t be too late.” James could get away with more than most of the group could. He was a respectable young lad, despite being English, and Mrs Quinn trusted him around Erin – she knew he wouldn’t try anything.

“We are?” Erin looked past her mother and cocked her eyebrow at James, who smiled tightly and nodded. She immediately caught on. “Aye, we are! Bye Mammy.”

“Be home before ten.”

“Aye.” Erin nodded pulling her shoes on before darting out, her coat over her arm to put on when out. Mrs Quinn closed the door when Erin was out.

They didn’t move. Erin and James just stood there as Erin put her coat on. James just looked at Erin in the glow of the street light as she pulled the coat on. The light reflected off of her coat buttons as she moved, pulling the coat over her arms, her shoulders and then moving her hair out from under the coat collar.

“So…” James dragged out. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been good.”

“Good…”

“Where we heading then?” Erin asked with a cough. James gestured for them to start walking, speaking as he did.

“Well, I know you miss getting fish and chips so I found a place across town – it’s not Fionnula’s, but from what I’ve heard it’s a close second.”

Erin was speechless. James went through all this trouble for her? He hated fish and chips, well, he hated greasy food in general. Not only that but it must have been insanely difficult for a normal person to find a new place for her, ten times harder for James because he was English. But what if he wasn’t doing this for her? Erin suddenly thought. How embarrassing would it be to thank him for finding a new fish and chip shop if he weren’t looking for her? They were already tense enough as it was without Erin accidentally being arrogant and presuming he had gone out of his way in an act of kindness solely for herself. Erin just smiled and nodded, letting James lead the way.

James was right, it was far across town, so far in fact that even Erin, who grew up in Derry, had trouble recognising her surroundings. He even insisted on paying for her dinner. It wasn’t until they were sitting on the wall and Erin had started eating that she realised James didn’t buy anything.

“Aren’t ye eating?” Erin asked biting into a chip. James pulled out his wrapped up sandwiches and showed them to Erin. “Is that all?”

“I’m not that hungry anyway…” James shrugged as he opened them up, slowly munching on one. Erin instantly felt guilty. There she was with fish and chips while James only had a Cheese and Pickle sandwich.

“Next time, you can pick the place,” Erin told him.

“I picked this place.”

“But you hate fish and chips and you bought me food, despite me saying I could get it myself,” Erin pointed out. “Did you do this for me?”

“Things have been weird…” James sighed, “I wanted to make things normal again.”

“Thank ye, James,” Erin blushed. “Should we talk bout it? The party? And Katya.”

“I suppose we ought to…”

“I’m sorry!” Erin blurted out suddenly, “I don’t know why I acted like that. It’s just… you’re my friend, and I care bout ya, and I don’t want ya to make any stupid mistakes or have any regrets, and I could just imagine ya being completely miserable when she left and I just wanted to… protect ya… I guess… It’s not a valid excuse, but it’s all I’ve got.” She paused for a moment. “Ya deserve someone who loves ya, James. Someone who makes ya heart flutter and feel like ya on top of the world every time ya near them. I don’t care if ya English, ya deserve better than her. I behaved inexcusably, and for a crappy excuse – it’s ya life James, not mine, and I should have backed out. If ye wanted to hook up with Katya, regardless of feelings, then that was your choice. I shouldn’t have interfered. I said my peace, and I hope ya have it in ya heart to forgive me.”

James was silent, absorbing everything that tumbled out of Erin’s mouth at lightning speed, and even when she finished he remained quiet. Erin really wanted him to say something, yell at her, and berate her even. She had been carrying around the guilt for weeks now, the look on everyone’s faces, James’ disappointment in her, Katya’s disgust. It was James’ disappointment that hurt her the most. The look in those eyes… Sweet Suffering Jesus, nothing had put a dagger into her heart like James’ look at her. Those thin pressed lips, those hard eyes, and those clenched fists – not because she stopped him from losing his virginity, but because he never believed her capable of such behaviour. Now she proved she was capable of it, and they hadn’t been the same since. She took full blame, and she had no idea why she behaved like that – she kept telling herself that he would regret it. She hoped she was right.

“Don’t worry about it, Erin,” James said quietly. “I probably wouldn’t have gone through with it.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have-” “You’re right!” He cut her off quickly.

“Huh?” Erin blinked and James awkwardly shifted.

“When I think about… it. My first time,” He began, “it is never like how Katya wanted it.”

“How is it then?” Erin couldn’t stop herself from asking. James looked at her and smiled.

“I don’t know…” he sighed, “me, and a girl who knows me, makes me smile. We’re in love, and… we trust each other. We hug and we kiss and I want to make her feel like the most beautiful creation…” Erin smiled. James frowned when he caught her smile, mistaking the kindness for mockery. “You think I’m a nimrod, don’t you?”

“No.” She shook her head, “I would never think that. I think you are… incredibly sweet, and that the girl who does end up with you will be lucky to have you.”

There, in the street light, sitting on a wall, a Derry Girl and an English Boy smiled at each other, with fluttering hearts and warm eyes, feeling as though they were the only two people on the planet, but still blissfully unaware of their own growing affections, let alone the other ones’.


End file.
